spenser magazine

Weekend Reads

Sat, 18 May 2013 15:24:00 -0700

Gizmodo discovers a genius cheese grater business card designed by marketing firm J. Walter Thompson for Bon Vivant Cheese Shop in Brazil.

http://gizmodo.com/of-course-a-cheese-store-has-a-tiny-grater-business-car-505465406

American Food Roots covers the inspiration behind an American twist on Filipino lumpia

http://www.americanfoodroots.com/my-american-roots/filipino-lumpia-gets-an-american-flair/

Fresh mackerel is on the receiving end of new praise (and recipes) from Zester Daily

http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/fresh-mackerel-recipes-and-preparations

Josh Ozersky pens a piece on the new trends in smoked foods for the Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323…

Speaking of smoke,Texas Monthly released its once-every-five-years list of the 50 best barbecue joints in the Lone Star State, naming Franklin BBQ (in Austin) the best.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/eat-my-words/list-top-50-barbecue-joints

Imbibe highlights the cocktail scene in the Crescent City, noting that the past and the future find common ground in New Orleans.

http://imbibemagazine.com/New-Orleans-Cocktail-Scene

by Margot Tuchler Food waste is an uncomfortable and often...

Fri, 17 May 2013 07:23:00 -0700

by Margot Tuchler

Food waste is an uncomfortable and often overlooked reality underlying the restaurant and catering industries. There’s always a pang of guilt that arises when a waiter comes to retrieve a nearly full plate of food and a distant sense of unease at the sight of too many prepared meals at a poorly attended catered event. Although FDA regulations prohibit (understandably) the redistribution of food that has left the kitchen, a group from Arizona State University is working to take advantage of excess food in an effort to alleviate food insecurity.

What began as an idea in a Fall 2011 course in ASU’s School of Engineering (in partnership with the business college) has materialized into FlashFood, now in the tenth week of its pilot program in the Phoenix Valley area, thanks to funding from ASU’s Edson Entrepreneurship Initiative. FlashFood uses a mobile app and text alert system to connect local businesses to locals in need, said Executive Director Eric Lehnhardt a recent ASU graduate and one of FlashFood’s founders.

FlashFood maintains a squad of drivers on call, responsible for picking up food from businesses that have alerted the organization to their excess. Drivers then deliver food to community gathering spaces, such as churches, schools or community centers, and the FlashFood network is notified via text of where and when food will be available.

Lehnhardt noted that historically, donating prepared food has posed quite a challenge—FlashFood provides a new system that operates on efficiency.

“More often than not, if it’s unexpected food it’s very difficult [to donate] so that’s where the FlashFood model makes it easier to respond to unexpected food donations and put food into the hands of community members,” Lehnhardt said.

FlashFood is currently collaborating with Kaleidoscope Juice, a business that focuses on fresh foods including organic juices and quinoa salads, which are certainly safe to eat hours after the restaurant prepares them, but aren’t valuable to the restaurant anymore. FlashFood, by collaborating with businesses like these, is able to extend the idea of food donation past cans and boxes.

The team comes from a variety of academic disciplines—Lehnhardt majored in biomedical engineering, while his colleagues’ majors included material science, computer science, a dual degree in business and sustainability, and two other sustainability majors. This array of expertise is one of FlashFood’s greatest strengths, Lehnhardt said.

FlashFood has spent the last ten weeks working to forge relationships with businesses in the Phoenix Valley, test out the mobile app and see how the community is responding. Since FlashFood is just getting off the ground, plans for future expansion are not yet on the table. However, the team seems to have created a pretty fruitful model. We look forward to tracking FlashFood’s success and we hope you do too.

In Season: Green Almonds

Mon, 13 May 2013 07:30:00 -0700

by Adriana Lucci

I distinctly remember trying green almonds for the first time. I had just meandered into a farmer’s market in Paris and found myself between two stalls; one vending small cylinders of goat cheese with ash-ripened rinds, the other towers of jarred marmalades resembling stained glass windows as the spring sun shone through them. In front of me was a humble white tent like all the others; in its protective shade stood a man supervising three brown woven baskets filled to the brim with small green pods. I picked one up and felt its fuzz, wondering if its color and texture would resemble that of a lovechild conceived by a tennis ball and a peach. Turning on my charm, as I tend to do when speaking to a person with whom the fate of my next meal lies, I asked the man what the fuzzy pods were and what I could do with them. He was understandably much less enthused by my prospective snack than I was. Apathetically he stated, “They are fresh almonds. You just eat them.”

A child of New England, I had never before seen fresh almonds and was fascinated by their white baby fur. Meanwhile he stared straight forward, at nothing in particular, mindlessly pricking each drupe with the tip of a knife, through its fuzzy jacket, halting the blade so not to puncture the almond’s crisp tender fruit. He then circumferenced the pod until it was halved—like the process of splitting an avocado in two—and with an effortless flick of the wrist, pried open the shell to reveal a smooth white embryo.

The almond man was still staring strait forward, but his open palm motioned toward me, offering the snack resting at its center. I released the fruit from its hull, instinctively peeled back its smooth membrane, and popped it into my mouth whole: watery, crisp, grassy, tart, and meaty. Its taste is the essence of budding springtime. That afternoon I passed my time under the shade of a tree with a sack of green almonds, imitating the man at the stand, using my room key instead of a knife with some success.

Until recently I had nearly forgotten about green almonds, but in the past few years I’ve been reminded by their burgeoning presence on pricey restaurant menus as a garnish for salads and seafood entrees, peaking my interest once again.

In France green almonds often serve as a pre-dinner snack alongside an aperitif or chilled fruity rosé. On another day in Paris I saw them sliced and sprinkled over jarred compotes. All over the Mediterranean green almonds are eaten plain, dressed with salt and paprika, tossed in fine grain sugar, or dipped in salt water for noshing. In the Middle East, the earliest green almonds are pickled, husk and all, as an accompaniment to lamb or roast chicken. I phoned George Yemetz, one of the owners of Yemetz Family Farms in Livingston, Calif., who recommends slicing and adding green almonds to salads and stir-fries.

The mature almond is the one we know best. The jacket shrivels, the fruit hardens, and finally loses its shell toward the end of the summer. Farmer Nate Siemens, of Fat Uncle Farms in Wasco, Calif., informed me that that first time I ate green almonds they were one stage prior to maturation. He called it “the firm white stage”, available from early May to early June, that is preferred by French chefs for easy slicing. At the beginning of their season in late April, green almonds can be eaten whole with the husk. Their seed has the jellied texture of lychee or a firm grape. This is when they are best for pickling.

George and Nate sell their green almonds at numerous Southern California farmer’s markets, but you can find them at specialty food stores in other parts of the country. Be sure to purchase almonds of a soft green hue, without any bruising or brown spots. You should store them in the refrigerator, where they may last up to a week, but green almonds should be eaten as soon as possible after purchase—especially when they’re young. The entire green almond season is a short six weeks, between late April and early June, and I urge you to seize the opportunity before it passes.

Green Almonds With Chili Salt

Adapted from recipe by Nate Siemens

3 dozen green almonds, shelled and washed
2 tbsp. light olive oil
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1. Mix the green almonds with the oil in a small bowl. Combine the sugar, salt, and cayenne in separate bowl and stir to combine. Dust the almonds with the chili-salt mix and serve.

Photography by Meredith Paige

Mother's Day Reads

Sun, 12 May 2013 10:33:00 -0700

Happy Mother’s Day!

How to grill blue crab, the resilient crustacean residing in the Gulf of Mexico; from Texas Monthly. Photo: Blue crab in holding tank by Meredith Paige.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/barbecued-crabs-recipe

Should you have to be 21 before you can drink coffee? The Atlantic reports that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a plan to investigate and potentially regulate caffeine.

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/05/21-to-drink-coffee/275621/

The editors of the James Beard Foundation have compiled their favorite food moments in film into one 70 second video, entitled “Food in Film: Family.” See if you can recognize each of the different movies that appear on screen.

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/food-film-family

Dust off the old Jello mold—if you still have one. Zester Daily gives us a bit of history of jellied desserts; plus an enticing recipe much more appealing than the iconic Jello salads of the ‘50s.

http://zesterdaily.com/cooking/gelatin-desserts/

The New Yorker posted a montage of photographs of a chocolate plantation in Brazil, a tease for an article in their latest issue about chocolate entrepreneur Frederick Schilling and the rise of artisanal chocolate.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/2007/10/29/slideshow_071029_chocolate

Esquire has a new cocktail to add to your repertoire: Snapdragon, a “spicy Thai reviver” made with tequila, Cointreau, St. Germain, lime and Thai chili. Get the recipe here:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/snapdragon-reviver-belly-trumpet-dallas-15437113

Did you know that the US is the most diverse brewing nation in...

Fri, 10 May 2013 19:09:08 -0700

Did you know that the US is the most diverse brewing nation in the world? Just take a look at this map from the Brewer’s Association in promotion of American Craft Beer Week, which kicks off in a few days. Here’s to the 2400 small and independent brewers who make craft beer.

Now we have an excuse to drink more wine. Not that we needed...

Wed, 08 May 2013 20:09:45 -0700

Now we have an excuse to drink more wine. Not that we needed it.

From Upcycle That:

These cork planters make for an easy fridge magnet DIY. They are simple to make and only require wine corks, magnets, some soil and succulent clippings.

Weekend Reads

Sat, 04 May 2013 09:40:15 -0700

For all things Derby Day, including current rack conditions, odds, and updates, we turn to the Daily Racing Form.

http://www.drf.com/news/kentucky-derby

This week Lucky Peach is posting four James Beard award-winning articles that were originally published in the magazine on their tumblr page. Here’s the first:

http://lky.ph/post/49261745544/fuchsia-dunlop-londons-chinatown

From Grub Street: “Anthony Bourdain on His Teaching Dreams, Vilifying Ronald McDonald, and The Terror of Child ‘Foodies’”

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2013/04/bourdain-children-health.html

Stephanie Powell for Thought Catalog: “Being a Vegetarian Ruins Every Holiday”

http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/being-a-vegetarian-ruins-every-holiday/

When you need some magic: Za’atar. Via Edible Vineyard

http://www.ediblevineyard.com/index.php/stories/article/zaatar

Southern Living brings you a crawfish boil with a Texas twist:

http://www.southernliving.com/food/entertaining/crawfish-boil-with-texas-twist-00417000081989/

Meet the 2013 Best Food Blog Award Winners, thanks to Saveur:

http://www.saveur.com/article/blog/2013-Best-Food-Blog-Award-Winner-Good-Beer-Hunting

A little gift for those who take care of others

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:58:00 -0700

With everything that’s happened over the past few weeks, we weren’t surprised to see so many people coming forward to give freely to the many charitable causes supporting the victims of the Boston bombing, West, Texas fertilizer plant explosion, and Midwest flooding. Whether it is Boston’s One Fund, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation on the ground in Texas, or the American Red Cross responding to flooding in the Midwest, there is a definite need for aid.

In recognition of this generosity, we’ve put together a little gift box with a few of our favorite pantry items to give away to one lucky donor. That person will be sent two bottles of Dave’s Coffee Syrup (regular and vanilla), a jar of Ann’s Raspberry Farm Brussels Sprout Relish, a bag of Hayden Flour Mills Farro Flour, a jar of Quince & Apple’s Fig and Black Tea Preserves, and Heirloom LA’s delicious McGrath Farm Giardiniera.

If you have donated (or do donate) at least $15 to any one of the three charities listed above between April 15, 2013 and May 9, 2013, you qualify for the giveaway. To be entered in the giveaway, you just have to tweet as us, comment on this blog post or on our Facebook page, or send us an email to spenser AT spensermag.com with the name of the charity you supported. We will work on the honor system on this one, only requiring proof of the required donation from the winning person.

We will conduct a random drawing on May 10, 2013 to choose the winner.

Terms & Conditions:

ELIGIBILITY: The spenser Gift Box Giveaway (the “Giveaway”) is open only to legal residents of the United States (including the District of Columbia), who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Winner will be notified via email, Facebook, Tumblr and/or Twitter. Winner will be required to contact spenser within forty-eight (48) hours, to provide mailing address. All entries must be received by 12:00 a.m. PST on May 10, 2013. The winner will be required to provide verifiable proof of required charitable donation.

HOW TO ENTER: To enter, you must do both of the following:

1. Donate at least $15 to either the One Fund, American Red Cross, or National Fallen Firefighters Foundation between April 15, 2013 and May 9, 2013, inclusive.

2. Tell spenser which charity you chose by tweeting @spensermag, commenting on spenser’s Facebook Giveaway post, commenting on spenser’s Tumblr Giveaway post, or sending an email to spenser AT spensermag.com

BY ENTERING THE GIVEAWAY, participants release and hold harmless spenser, and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss, or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Giveaway or any prize won, including any injuries, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with participation in the Giveaway. The laws of the State of California (USA), without regard to its conflict of law rules, will govern these Terms. Any action relating to this giveaway shall be initiated only in the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California (USA).

ENTRANT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION: Information collected from entrants is subject to the Spenser Privacy Policy.

The Global Classroom & Online Learning

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:30:17 -0700

With the internet and digital age dictating the current student’s every move, universities worldwide have adapted their model of teaching by incorporating online courses and podcasts. Culinary and food courses are not exempt from this change as chefs and professors are collaborating to create a global classroom for food learning. What’s exciting is that you don’t always have to be an enrolled student to participate.

1. At The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Lam Lung Yeung and King L. Chow are offering an online class regarding the influence of scientific principles on cooking and cuisine. “The Science of Gastronomy” is a 6 week long class covering basic scientific principles of food including taste, flavor, aroma, coloring, and texture. The online instructional videos will cover cooking practices and encourage students to develop their own recipes after understanding ingredients. No former cooking experience is required. This class enables an enrollee to progress and learn at his or her own pace while discovering the science behind the cooking.

2. Sponsored by Coursera, “The New Nordic Diet - from Gastronomy to Health” tracts the world’s largest research project for health and well-being. Taught by Arne Astrup of the University of Copenhagen, this course focuses on gastronomy, health and environment. Conducted by the OPUS Centre at the University of Copenhagen and the people behind the award-winning restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, this class informs students on the opportunities of healthy living and new diets featuring regional based diet and food culture. Unique to Denmark and the U. of Copenhagen, the “Nordic diet” consists of local ingredients such as root vegetables, rye bread, fish, berries and seaweed. Professor Astrup goes beyond basic food knowledge and emphasizes how food practices can affect obesity and metabolism.This online course begins on September 2, 2013 and is 8 weeks long.

3. Sponsored by Open Culture, Harvard University presents a lecture series unlike any other university food related course. ”Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to the Science of Soft Matter” combines the research of Harvard professors and expertise of world-class chefs to explore the dichotomy between food and science. Soft matter science is a field that looks at how thermal stresses and thermal fluctuations change the physical properties of everyday materials. In this case, those materials are pantry items like chocolate, bread, and olive oil. The classroom consists of a lecture hall complete with a professional kitchen serving as the lab station. All 64 current lectures are on YouTube and free to the public to view.

4. From the University of Minnesota, “Sustainability of Food Systems: A Global Life Cycle Perspective” is a timely class that is focused on the future of food consumption. This course explores every aspect of food preparation and the impact our food choices have on the environment, society, and health. It will prompt students to think in more sustainable and creative ways to create a more stable global food system. Taught by Professor Jason Hill, the curriculum will focus on broad topics ranging “What is food?” to “What challenges do we face in reforming the global food system?” Lectures will question the global impact of our dietary choices and show how future generations can improve the sustainability of our world’s food system. Participants will investigate these issues through case studies, readings, and online resources. The course is open to all, lasts 8 weeks long, and starts on June 14.

5. Offered by John Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health, “An Introduction to the U.S. Food System: Perspectives from Public Health,” teaches how food impacts health and the environment as it is delivered from the source to our dinner plates. This online, 6 week course highlights activities and complex systems ranging from food production to consumption. Individuals will learn about the U.S. food system and the implications of our current food production processes, and then discuss alternative methods of production to improve the quality of public health and the environment. Anyone can enroll, despite the course being led by faculty from John Hopkins Center for a Livable Future. The date of the course has yet to be announced so keep an eye out.

6. Sponsored by Open Universities Australia, “Food, Nutrition and Your Health” covers nutrition, eating disorders, and proper diets to avoid health problems. Students will learn everything from the chemistry of basic nutrients to constructing a healthy menu. This course prepares students for vocational jobs such as a nutrition assistant to a dietitian. Students also engage in online discussions regarding anorexia and bulimia, a prerequisite for becoming a community or school health advisor. The course is constructed under 4 modules and anyone can enroll on the Open2Study website.

7. The Food Science and Human Nutrition Department at the University of Maine offers multiple online courses spanning world nutrition, food preservation, and biostatistical techniques concerning food research. “Introduction to Food and Nutrition” covers the influence of food patterns on physical performance, food safety, and controversies over effects of processing and storage. “World Food and Nutrition” investigates poverty, government regulations, and population growth in regards to world food nutrition. “Food Preservation” and “Research Methods and Biostatistical Techniques” examine thermal processing and research on food management design. “Food Preservation” also goes into depth about freezing, dehydration, extrusion-cooking and packaging food. This class is limited to current undergraduate students.

8. Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online Learning offers multiple online courses regarding food sciences and nutrition. Two particularly interesting courses are: “Food and the Consumer” and “World Food Issues: Past and Present.” Taught by ISU professor, Julie Goldman, “Food and the Consumer” tracks the properties of food constituents and food preservation against deterioration. This online, 3-unit course also addresses government regulations of food businesses and the introduction of food into the marketplace. Taught by ISU professor, Clark Ford, “World Food Issues: Past and Present” informs students about malnutrition, hunger and socioeconomic problems on a global level. The online course encourages the student’s to think of change for a better future. Thees classes begin on August 26th and will conclude on December 20, 2013. Students will pay a delivery fee of $212.00 along with the normal tuition and technology fee.

Weekend Reads

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:57:00 -0700

The latest publication from Michael Pollan, Cooked, “surveys how the four classical elements—fire, water, air and earth—transform plants and animals into food.” Check out a write up, interview, and excerpt of the book at NPR.

http://www.npr.org/2013/04/21/177501735/fire-water-air-earth-michael-pollan-gets-elemental-in-cooked

We weren’t the only folks disappointed when Mark Bittman chose to stop writing The Minimalist last year, but luckily he’s back with another New York Times column. Behold: The Flexitarian.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/dining/healthy-meet-delicious.html

Just for fun: check out graphic designer David LeFerriere’s 1000+ unique drawings on his kids’ sandwich bags. Via the Kitchn.

http://www.thekitchn.com/look-5-years-of-handdrawn-sandwich-bags-by-a-dedicated-dad-188454

Whilst on Percocet, bedridden, recovering from a bruised sacrum and herniated disk, Lisa Birnbach made the mistake of asking her Facebook friends about which toaster oven she should buy; then took the liberty of creating a toast-joke-themed Facebook group in her honor, “Lisa’s New Toaster”; then Lisa Birnbach covered the story for The New Yorker, and here it is now for your enjoyment.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/04/toast-of-the-town.html

Noma chef René Redzepi tweets that he has delivered the final manuscript of his latest three-volume cookbook, which will be published by Phaidon this November.

http://eater.com/archives/2013/04/25/rene-redzepi-a-work-in-progress-a-3volume-book-coming-this-fall.php

“6 Bourbon Myths Busted” by Details, just in time for the Kentucky Derby.

http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2013/04/6-bourbon-myths-get-busted-just-in-time-for-the-kentucky-derby.html

In season: What is and what can you do with baby ginger?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/24/dining/spring-ginger-the-mild-mannered-younger-sister.html

Sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr interviews wine importer and...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:59:09 -0700

Sommelier and winemaker Rajat Parr interviews wine importer and taste maker Kermit Lynch. They talk Burgundy, balance, and natural wines.

Science and Food at UCLA with Chef Alex Atala

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:01:17 -0700

Professor Amy Rowat leads a popular undergraduate course titled “Science and Food: The Physical and Molecular Origins of What We Eat” for UCLA’s Life Sciences program. The class offers students the chance to learn the origins of food texture and flavor – i.e. why lettuce is crispy, or why different cuts of meat have different textures.

The class is punctuated with course lectures by highly regarded chefs and farmers from Los Angeles and beyond. This year, for example, Chef Jeremy Fox will be giving a class lecture entitled “The Art of Vegetable Texture” and Chef Michael Voltaggio will be lecturing on “Meat Texture and Elasticity.”

Accompanying the class each spring is an evening lecture series that is open to the general public. Similar to Harvard’s “Science and Cooking” lectures, this series is presented for nominal ticket prices with the intent of introducing food science to those outside of the program.

Just last week, Alex Atala, the chef and owner of D.O.M. in São Paulo, Brazil, kicked off the 2013 public lecture series with a discussion on the intersection of the primitive with the modern. Once described by Chef David Chang as more interesting than the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the Word, Atala is renowned for a devotion to regional cuisine using indigenous Brazilian ingredients.

Atala works closely with anthropologists and scientists to discover and classify new foods from the Amazonian region. Among his favorite discoveries are priprioca, a fragrant Amazonian root used in savory and sweet dishes, and a new variety of wild palm perfectly adapted for sustainable and environmentally sound farming, which he serves as fettuccine with butter, sage, and popcorn powder (see recipe below).

The lecture focused primarily on the chef’s creative process by leading attendees dish by dish through his vegetarian tasting menu. He likened the work of a chef to that of a trained animal by noting that conditioning and reflex can feel comfortable, but it can also hinder innovation. To break the conditioning of the day to day repetition of the restaurant kitchen, he leaves the restaurant each year to spend time searching out new foods in the Amazon.

Atala emphasized that innovation isn’t limited to new discovery or invention. It can also be found in the simple act of doing something in an unexpected way. For one of the dishes on the tasting menu, Atala uses manioc (yuca flour), a staple ingredient of peasant cooking in Brasil, and pairs it with a few local herbs and chili. It is a dish that would be right at home in a tribal village but had never before been served like this in a fine dining setting. To make the dish his own, to remind diners of the dish’s humble origin, and to draw a link to the burning of the Amazonian rain forest, Atala garnishes the dish with a few bitter drops of charcoal oil, made by infusing neutral cooking oil with the still glowing embers of burnt wood.

Referencing the charcoal oil, Atala noted that prep work does not start in the kitchen. It starts with conservation. He believes that humans must remain vigilant in their relationship with food and care deeply about sustainability. “My mise en place starts with protecting the land, the forests, and the sea,” he says.

The chef also spent time focused on “context” in cooking. Grilling steak over an open flame produces the Maillard reaction (when the denatured proteins on the surface of meat combine with the sugars present) resulting in that caramelized, meaty flavor and aroma. The same chemical reaction occurs when human remains are burned on a funeral pyre. Similarly, many expensive, aged cheeses, Atala noted, have the same smell as old sweaty shoes. For both examples, what is delicious and what seems revolting is a matter of context.

To bring home this point, Atala asked the audience if they would ever consider eating vomit. He then followed that with the question of whether they had eaten honey, which is the vomit of a honeybee. He described a woman he met in the Amazon who gave him a handful of dried ants. He was surprised to discover that the ants tasted of lemongrass, cardamom, and ginger. When he returned on another trip with real lemongrass, cardamom, and ginger, the woman responded that these aromatics tasted like ants. Context.

Later this week, Chef Alice Waters will be joined by Professor Wendy Slusser and Chef David Binkle in the second lecture, focusing on edible eduction and, in mid-May, Chefs Christina Tosi of Momofuku Milk Bar and Zoe Nathan of Huckleberry Bakery will discuss the science of pie. Tickets are still available for both lectures on the Science and Food Web site.

Heart of Palm Fettuccine with Butter and Sage, Parmesan Cheese and Popcorn Powder

Recipe by Alex Atala, D.O.M.

Serves 4

(Note that US weights are approximate. For more accurate results, use the original metric measurements.)

Canola oil
100 g (3 ½ oz) broken corn (quirera)
1 kg (2 ¼ lbs) heart of palm
10 ml (2 tsp) clarified butter
1 small zucchini
60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
15 sage leaves
50 g (1 ¾ oz) Parmesan cheese, shaved into strips
Salt

1. To make the popcorn powder: Heat ½-inch of canola oil in a high sided, heavy bottomed pan until it reaches 180°C (355°F). Fry the broken corn in batches until it opens like popcorn. Remove with a slotted spoon and set it on a kitchen towel to cool. Pulse in a food processor until it turns to powder. Sieve twice and season with salt. Set aside.

2. For the fettuccine: Remove the heart of palm’s bark (if any). Cut the heart of palm in fine strips using a mandoline, so that it resembles fettuccine. Blanch the fettuccine strips in boiling salted water for one minute.

3. Cut the zucchini into thin rounds. Heat the clarified butter in a frying pan over high heat and sear one side of four separate rounds of zucchini. Carefully clean out the pan with a paper towel and then melt the unsalted butter over medium heat until it turns slightly brown and foamy (brown butter). Add the sage and then the blanched heart of palm and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

4. Place a portion of the heart of palm fettuccine in the center of each plate. Put one seared zucchini round on one side of the fettuccine and a long shaving of Parmesan on the other. Garnish with the popcorn powder.

Photo Credit: Sergio Coimbra

Weekend Reads

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 10:15:13 -0700

Via Edible Manhattan: In the East Village of New York City, known for having some of the world’s best tap water, a café just opened up that serves only water. Customers can choose whether they’d like to add flavors, vitamins, electrolytes and other supplements.

http://www.ediblemanhattan.com/departments/notable-edibles/a-cafe-that-serves-only-water/

From Lucky Peach: “A look forward in time, to the year 2034, when we have industrialized chicken to the point of inedible toxicity. At the hands of Magnus Nilsson, a Frankenchicken rises to feed the memories of the ruling class.”

http://lky.ph/post/47636747356/a-vision-of-post-apocalyptic-cuisine-a-look

For those of us who can’t get enough of cheese that leaks out from the side of a grilled cheese, resulting in crispy crunchy perfection, Culture magazine brings you: The Inside Out Grilled Cheese.

http://www.culturecheesemag.com/recipes/inside-out-grilled-cheese

Maria Popova reviews “The Artists & Writers’ Cookbook: A Rare 1961 Treasure Trove of Unusual Recipes and Creative Wit” for Brainpickings.

http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/04/17/the-artists-writers-cookbook-1961/

Via Grub Street: Daniel Boulud and Marky Ramone team up to serve a “Whole Hog Pigout” at DBGB Kitchen and Bar, featuring Marky’s famous “Drum-Punk” Brooklyn tomato sauce with smoked mozzarella ravioli as a first course.

http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2013/04/daniel-boulud-marky-ramone-dbgb-cbgb.html

Alabama Gastropub Ollie Irene reinvents a classic southern drink for kids, their version has coke, peanuts, and whiskey. Via Garden and Gun.

http://gardenandgun.com/blog/coke-peanuts-and-whiskey

From the OC Weekly: Tai Kao, a Thai iced tea beer, from The Bruery. Owner Patrick Rue has always been a fan of the Southeast Asian beverage, so he came up with a recipe that captures its flavors. The uncarbonated, 8% beer is served in The Bruery’s tasting room with ice over coconut milk.

http://blogs.ocweekly.com/stickaforkinit/2013/04/tai_kao_bruery_thai_iced_tea_beer.php

If you’re by chance in Brooklyn between Thursday May 2^nd and Sunday May 5^th, make sure you check out this year’s Food Book Fair, for details:

http://foodbookfair.com/

Every week, over at Food 52, writer and author Caroline...

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:18:51 -0700

Every week, over at Food 52, writer and author Caroline Wright will be posting creative, simple recipes that feed four — for under $20, in under 20 minutes. The kimchi, pork and scallion pancake, from this week’s post, is right up our alley. Check it out.

food52:

A hearty, savory pancake gets adorned with the freshest of spring flavors on 20 Dollar 20 Minute meals.

Read more: Kimchi, Pork Scallion Pancake with Watercress-Radish Relish on Food52

Pack it up, Pack it in: Build yourself a super sweet D.I.Y. Bike...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:00:00 -0700

Pack it up, Pack it in: Build yourself a super sweet D.I.Y. Bike Crate using step-by-step instructions from Eleanor’s in NYC (in Dark Rye).

Just a few days after Smithsonian, Fast Company, and other media...

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:53:00 -0700

Just a few days after Smithsonian, Fast Company, and other media outlets highlighted the beautifully shot high-speed photography infomercial from The Marmalade, a German production studio responsible for many of Europe’s most compelling food commercials, the folks at Alinea released their own high-speed video meant to introduce the restaurant’s new menu. “Alinea Intro,” one in a series of Alinea videos released over the years on YouTube, is well worth the 107 seconds it takes to watch, even if just to see the exploding chocolate orb.

Hat tip: Eater

We love this simple yet ever so beautiful video from Jennifer...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:14:32 -0700

We love this simple yet ever so beautiful video from Jennifer Davick about a spenser favorite, Benton’s Country Hams.

This is our basic ravioli pasta recipe for use with the braised...

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:06:00 -0700

This is our basic ravioli pasta recipe for use with the braised beef shank dish in the new spring issue. Unlike with heartier pastas, such as Ragu Bolognese, this recipe uses no semolina flour. We prefer an all-purpose flour recipe with this ravioli because it produces a more tender, yet still pliable pasta sheet

Basic Pasta Recipe

You may either mix the pasta using a fork and the traditional well method (in the photos above) or save a little bit of time by bringing the ingredients together in a stand mixer before turning out on a board to knead. No matter how you mix the ingredients, be prepared to knead the dough for 10 minutes to develop the necessary gluten that will hold the ravioli sheets together.

Makes approximately 1 1/2 lbs.

3 cups all-purpose flour + more for kneading
6 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. water

1. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Mix, starting on low speed, until the ingredients come together. You may need to scape down the sides of the bowl one or two times. The dough should start pulling off of the sides of the bowl when it is ready, but it will still be slightly sticky. If it is still loose after 2 minutes of mixing, add 1-2 more tbsp. of water to the bowl and mix again.

2. Lightly flour a wood board and turn out the dough onto the board. Start kneading the dough, folding it over on itself and pushing down firmly with the palm of your hand. Continue kneading for 10 minutes, adding more flour to the board as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. After 10 minutes, test the dough ball by pulling it gently apart. The dough should spring back toward its original shape. If it does not, knead for another few minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. Set your pasta rollers to the widest setting. Cut the dough into four equal pieces, placing three of them under damp paper towels while you work with the fourth. Flatten the piece of dough into a relatively thin disk (about 1/4 - 1/3 of an inch thick). Lightly dust both sides of the piece of dough and then roll it through the pasta machine, holding your hand underneath to keep the dough from tearing. Fold the dough over itself and repeat this step two times.

4. Set the rollers to the next narrowest setting and run the dough through twice without folding it again. Continue to run the dough through each progressively narrower setting two separate times until you reach the desired thickness. (We stopped at setting number 5 for this recipe.) Lay the pasta sheet out on a lightly floured surface and trim the edges of the pasta so that they are square. Cut, fill and seal the pasta as directed on the recipe you are using and then repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

It may just be a coincidence, but the bowling alley on Dyess Air...

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:00:50 -0800

It may just be a coincidence, but the bowling alley on Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Tx is 1560 miles from both San Francisco, CA and Baltimore, MD, the respective homes of the two teams playing in this Sunday’s Super Bowl. Dyess Lanes, which was recently renovated, has become a central gathering place for many of the families who live on the base. When they aren’t rolling a few frames on one of the bowling alley’s 16 lanes, they are enjoying the cafe’s “famous Pinburger,” a pitcher of beers, or, hopefully, probably, a Frito pie.

Of course, Frito pie isn’t unique to this one bowling alley or even to Abilene. It’s a classic snack food that is served at bars, lunch counters, food trucks and concession stands all across Texas. What you may not know, however, is that Frito Pie is also made by many for friends and family at parties, including football games and tailgates. It’s classically delicious party food. With just a little bit of effort, you can easily whip together a large batch of chili today and have it ready to go for Sunday’s big game. When game day rolls around, warm up the chili, grate up some cheese, chop up some white onion, pop open a few bags of Fritos and you are ready to feed an army (or an Air Force).

Just don’t forget the ice cold beer. If you ask the Texans on spenser’s staff, they’ll say Shiner Bock is the way to go.

Frito Pie Recipe

We use the beef n’ bacon grind from Lindy and Grundy, our local butcher shop here in Los Angeles. They grind together equal parts pasture raised, grass fed beef and their own house smoked bacon to make a deliciously rich blend that is perfect for chili. We designed this recipe, however, so that you will still get great results using 100% fresh ground beef from your own local butcher. We recommend asking for a course grind of an 80-20 (meat to fat) blend for the best flavor. When it comes to the Fritos, small bags are the go to choice for individual servings and the larger bags are perfect for sharing family style.

Serves 10-12

3 large dried ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
3 large dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 cups water
1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
1 small bunch fresh cilantro
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 ½ tsp. kosher salt
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp. chili powder blend (medium heat)
1 tbsp. ground cumin
2 tsp dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
1 ½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 ½ tsp. fresh ground white pepper (optional)
3 lb. fresh ground beef
1 (12-oz) bottle Shiner Bock
4 tsp. masa harina (corn flour), as needed
10-12 individual bags of Fritos
1 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 small white onion, finely chopped
Pickled (or fresh sliced) jalapeños

1. Toast ancho and guajillo chiles in a dry cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat until they darken and become aromatic, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer the chiles to a heatproof bowl, cover with 2 cups of boiling water and set aside to rehydrate.

2. Trim off the bottom ½-inch of the cilantro stems and discard. Add the cilantro, remaining stems and all, canned tomatoes with their juices, and chipotles in adobo to a blender with the ancho and guajillo chiles and their soaking liquid. Purée on high speed until completely smooth, 1-2 minutes.

2. Heat grapeseed oil in a large Dutch oven or similar heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and salt, cooking until onions start to brown, 8-10 minutes. Add minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black and white pepper to the pot and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the tomato purée from blender and stir to combine.

4. Stir the ground beef and beer into the chili mixture, using a metal spoon to break down the meat in the sauce. Bring the chili to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 2 hours, checking back often to stir the chili so that the bottom of the pot does not scorch. After two hours, taste the chili, adding salt if necessary. Simmer for another hour. If, after 3 hours, the chili broth is still very loose, stir in the masa harina, 1 tsp. at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

5. Open each bag of Fritos to expose the chips. Spoon ½ cup to 1 cup of chili on top of the Fritos and then garnish each with grated cheddar, white onion, and pickled jalapeños.

Night and Day. Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA.

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 19:50:20 -0800

Night and Day. Bay Bridge, San Francisco, CA.